Gicumbi Residents Urged to Preserve Green Gicumbi Legacy as the $32 Million Project Concludes
As the six-year Green Gicumbi Project officially came to an end, Government officials and local leaders called on residents to safeguard and build upon the achievements that have transformed communities, restored ecosystems, and strengthened resilience against climate change across the district.
The closure ceremony, held on May 29th 2026, marked the end of the USD 32 million initiative, officially known as Strengthening Climate Resilience of Rural Communities in Northern Rwanda, which was implemented by the Rwanda Green Fund with financial support from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) since 2019.
While celebrating the project’s remarkable achievements, speakers repeatedly emphasized that its long-term success will depend on the commitment of local communities to maintain and protect the investments made over the past six years.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dominique Habimana, the Minister of Local government, reminded the community from 9 sectors of Gicumbi district where the project was implemented, to safeguard the achievements of Green Gicumbi project by ensuring the continuation of all practices learned throughout the six years of implementation.
“Closing the project doesn’t mean the end of protection and conservation activities.” He said. “Let us learn from the good example the Green Fund has given us and continue to preserve and enhance the environment.”
The project directly benefited more than 158,000 people and indirectly impacted over 464,000 citizens through interventions including watershed restoration, climate-smart agriculture, sustainable forest management, clean energy adoption, resilient housing, and livelihood support.
Minister of Environment Dr. Bernadette Arakwiye said the achievements recorded in Gicumbi should serve as a foundation for future climate-resilient development efforts.
“Green Gicumbi Project reflects Rwanda’s bold vision of climate-resilient development where environmental protection, community resilience, and sustainable economic transformation go hand in hand.” she said.
Throughout its implementation, Green Gicumbi project restored degraded landscapes through reforestation, agroforestry, forest rehabilitation, soil erosion control, water management initiatives, and clean energy solutions. The project also supported the relocation of vulnerable families from high-risk zones into climate-resilient settlements and expanded access to climate information services.
For residents and beneficiaries of the project, maintaining these gains is now the priority as emphasized by Nicolas Gumisiriza from Rushaki sector.
“Preserving Green Gicumbi legacy is part of our long-term plan” Nicolas said.
“I want to assure you that in partnership with local authorities, we will continue to preserve these achievements by implementing the best practices we learned from the project and transfer the knowledge to residents in other sectors across our district.”
Mutuyimana Penina from Mukarange Sector highlighted the tangible impact the project has had on farmers’ livelihoods.
“The project has changed our lives as farmers, because now we are farming and getting enough produce to sell in the markets. This has helped in various aspects to the extent that we are now capable of paying our children’s education fees up to university.”
Green Gicumbi had four key components namely Watershed Protection and Climate Resilient Agriculture, Sustainable Forest Management and Sustainable Energy Use, Climate Resilient Settlements, Knowledge Transfer and Mainstreaming.
Among its major achievements were the relocation of 100 households from high-risk zones into climate-resilient settlements, the disbursement of RWF 1.3 billion to 25 local cooperatives for environmental and climate-related projects, and the rehabilitation of 2,261 hectares of degraded forests.
All these achievements, according Gicumbi district Mayor, Emmanuel Nzabonimpa, have laid a solid foundation for the well-being of the residents of Gicumbi district.
“Green Gicumbi has not only restored degraded ecosystems but also restored hope, dignity, and resilience. Communities now have stronger capacities to adapt to climate shocks while pursuing sustainable livelihoods.” He attested.
For Teddy Mugabo, the Chief Executive Officer of Rwanda Green Fund which oversaw the implementation of the project, she underscored that Green Gicumbi has demonstrated the transformative power of climate finance when combined with strong partnerships and local participation.
“Green Gicumbi has demonstrated how catalytic climate finance can translate national climate ambition into tangible, community-level impact. Through strategic investments in resilient infrastructure, ecosystem restoration, clean energy, and climate-smart livelihoods, the project has not only strengthened resilience in vulnerable communities, but also created a scalable model for green growth and sustainable development in Rwanda.” she said.
Mugabo also expressed appreciation to the Green Climate Fund for supporting Rwanda’s climate agenda, stating that “Green Gicumbi Project has been possible thanks to amazing partnerships at different levels, including local and national levels. This proves that strong partnerships are key in delivering to our climate goals.”
As Green Gicumbi enters its post-project phase, stakeholders say its true measure of success will be determined in the years ahead by how well communities preserve restored forests, protect watersheds, maintain climate-resilient infrastructure, and continue applying the knowledge and practices introduced through the initiative.
Beyond Gicumbi District, the project’s innovations and lessons are expected to contribute to Rwanda’s broader efforts to integrate climate resilience into national development planning and implementation.
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